KUALA LUMPUR – Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi has slammed former DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua for suggesting that the High-Speed Railway (HSR) project is currently unfeasible.
In a statement via his Facebook post today, Puad said the HSR will benefit all users and will not utilise government funds as it is a privately funded initiative.
“Tony Pua failed to evaluate HSR from the spillover aspect. The HSR is a ‘game changer’ that will help develop the areas surrounding the HSR stations. Huge economic benefits.
“Why didn’t Tony Pua criticise the Penang underground tunnel project? Is it a priority? Penang has two bridges already.
“Thankfully, Tony Pua has no posts in the government. He is being more left out of DAP’s politics,” he added.
Yesterday, Pua, in a statement, said it would be cheaper for the government to provide free flights to Singapore for Malaysians as opposed to going ahead with the HSR, which would cost RM80 billion, including land acquisition, without taking into account the interest rates.
The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore air route is the busiest air route in the world.
“It involves 4.9 million seats. If the estimated price is roughly RM400 per seat, it will involve less than RM2 billion in airfare per year,” he said. – December 22, 2023